16 Trustworthy Sources of Advice for Freelancers

Are you’re overwhelmed by all of the advice out there? Unsure about what works best for freelancers and what doesn’t apply to us? Tired of experts who make promises that seem too good to be true?

The good news is that there’s never been more great advice out there for freelancers—and much of it is free. But that’s the bad news too.

It takes time to find proven, practical advice that you can trust. And it’s not always easy to figure out what’s relevant to freelancers and what isn’t applicable or can harm our businesses.

Trustworthy Advice to Help Freelancers Succeed

I’ve put together a list of trustworthy blogs, podcasts, books, online courses, and websites to help you succeed in freelancing. Most of the sources are current or former freelancers who are sharing how they built their successful freelance businesses.

Nearly all of the sources focus only or mostly on freelancers. The other sources are applicable to freelancers.

The first 8 sources of advice are free (although the experts also sell some products and services). The last 8 sources of advice are what I call worth the money. While free advice can be very helpful, resources you pay for are almost always more detailed and more helpful than free advice.

While these sources of advice are all relevant to freelancers, not everything offered by each source will be relevant to you. So you’ll still need to do some evaluation. But at least you’ll be starting in the right places.

And you’ll see that I’ve included Mighty Marketer resources. Everything I offer— whether it’s free or for sale—is designed to help you get the clients you deserve and develop a stable, high-income freelance business.

3. The Likeable Expert

Michael J. Katz is a marketing consultant who specializes in “giving professionals the words they need to clearly explain what they do.” He has a great e-newsletter and blog. Katz is Founder and Chief Penguin of Blue Penguin Development, Inc.

4. Ryan Waggoner

Useful and thoughtful articles on how to build a successful career as a freelancer based on Ryan Waggoner’s experience as a freelancer. The page starts with a subscription box, but if you scroll down you’ll see some useful articles.

BEWARE: Ryan’s Freelancing 250K course promises freelancers they can earn $250,000 a year. This is unrealistic for the vast majority of freelancers.

7. Marketing Mentor

Free marketing course for creative professionals from Ilise Benun, who helps “creative professionals who are serious about taking it to the next level” . . . “stop taking whatever comes along and go get the work you want.”

Benun focuses mostly on designers but much of her content is applicable to other freelancers too.

8. Epic Freelancing

Free video lessons from freelancer Josh Hoffman, who helps current and aspiring freelancers achieve financial success, creative freedom, and lifestyle design. Scroll down to bottom of the page to sign up.

BEWARE: Some of his content (e.g., guides under the six core pillars of being a successful freelancer) is very skimpy.

Sources of Advice for Freelancers that are Worth the Money

See “Free Sources of Advice for Freelancers” above for descriptions of all sources except Carmine Gallo and Adam Grant, who are described below.

Books

9. 7 Steps to High-Income Freelancing

Learn how to find and attract the clients you deserve—without wasting your time or money, in 7 Steps to High-Income Freelancing. Based on what works best for freelancers, this concise, practical guide gives you a proven, step-by-step process to follow and the confidence you need to grow your freelance business.

10. Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success

People who give their time to others without expecting anything in return are more successful than people who don’t do this. Learn how to be a giver and how this will help you succeed in this book by Adam Grant, a professor of management and psychology at Penn’s Wharton School and a New York Times best-selling author.

13. Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds

Gallo is a bestselling author, Harvard instructor, and communication advisor for the world’s most admired brands. He studied the best TED presentations and summarized what he learned in this book. It offers inspiration and practical advice about how to become a great public speaker.

Online Courses

14. Finding the Freelance Clients You Deserve

A six-week course that helps freelancers create a stable, high-income business using the proven, step-by-step process that helped me build a 6-figure freelance business in 18 months. Hundreds of other freelancers have used my process to get the clients they deserve. The course is available in coaching or self-study versions.

Read the case studies of freelancers who have taken the course and are now getting the clients they deserve